1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to leg stabilization devices for aiding in the operation of exercise and health care equipment.
2. Description of the Known Technology
Exercise equipment requires a user to properly operate the equipment in order to obtain the intended health benefits while maintaining good form. Exercise equipment, such as a recumbent cross trainer; engage both the feet of the user via foot pedals and the hands of the users via handlebars. To exercise, the user's feet simply press the pedals or push and pull the handlebars of the exercise equipment in a repetitive fashion. If done properly, the user obtains the intended health benefits while maintaining good form.
A common situation can occur with individuals' lower body function who suffer from neurological, or neuromuscular disabilities, head injuries, muscular weakness, paralysis, spasticity, and even individuals with too much muscle tone due to a disability: they simply cannot maintain good leg alignment while pressing the pedals of the exercise equipment and their legs can abduct and/or adduct during the exercise motion. This lack of good form or alignment inhibits proper use of the equipment as well as limiting rehabilitation of the lower body, limiting overall cardiovascular conditioning of the user, and even limiting the ability of the neuromuscular system to retrain itself in performing activities of daily living.
Currently, other harness devices, sometimes referred to as “boots” attach to a users foot, ankle, and/or calf to help keep the leg aligned during movement and prevent abduction and/or adduction. The boot attaches to the pedals and substantially encloses portions of the user's foot and calf. However, by attaching these devices to a user's lower extremities below the knee, the prime muscle movers of the leg and hip can impart a torque to the knee, whereby the prime muscle movers are pushing the upper portion of the leg in one direction, while the boot device restrains the lower portion of the leg from moving in that same direction. A torque that is created on the knee can potentially cause injury to the ligaments that help to support and stabilize the knee during movement.
Additionally, these boot and related devices do little to adjust for the desired leg alignment in that they provide one position that the user has to adjust their leg and body to, versus having the device adjust to the desired alignment of the user, which may vary slightly from user to user depending on the disability of the user. Good alignment reduces the amount of torque to the knee by keeping the knee inline with the equipment's pedals or in a desired alignment that the user can actually tolerate, and thereby placing most of the force inline with the knee and minimizing the torque applied.
Finally, other devices such as stretchy bands, gait belts, or straps are also used to attempt to provide good form and leg alignment, but these are limited in function since they serve other purposes and are not intended to correct leg abduction or adduction as their primary function. Therefore, there exists a need for a better solution that provides good form and leg alignment, that provides the ability to adjust the alignment to a user, and that prevents potential knee torque that can occur when operating exercise equipment.